diff --git a/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakebuildconfiguration.cpp b/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakebuildconfiguration.cpp
index 65ca6d95750..a13b81859e8 100644
--- a/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakebuildconfiguration.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakebuildconfiguration.cpp
@@ -142,19 +142,25 @@ void CMakeBuildConfiguration::ctor()
                                            displayName(), BuildConfiguration::Unknown));
 
     connect(m_buildDirManager.get(), &BuildDirManager::dataAvailable,
-            this, &CMakeBuildConfiguration::dataAvailable);
+            this, [this, project]() {
+        project->updateProjectData(this);
+        emit dataAvailable();
+    });
     connect(m_buildDirManager.get(), &BuildDirManager::errorOccured,
-            this, &CMakeBuildConfiguration::setError);
+            this, [this, project](const QString &msg) {
+        project->updateProjectData(this);
+        setError(msg);
+    });
     connect(m_buildDirManager.get(), &BuildDirManager::configurationStarted,
-            this, &CMakeBuildConfiguration::parsingStarted);
+            this, [this, project]() {
+        project->handleParsingStarted();
+        emit parsingStarted();
+    });
 
     connect(this, &CMakeBuildConfiguration::environmentChanged,
             m_buildDirManager.get(), &BuildDirManager::forceReparse);
     connect(this, &CMakeBuildConfiguration::buildDirectoryChanged,
             m_buildDirManager.get(), &BuildDirManager::forceReparse);
-
-    connect(this, &CMakeBuildConfiguration::parsingStarted, project, &CMakeProject::handleParsingStarted);
-    connect(this, &CMakeBuildConfiguration::dataAvailable, project, &CMakeProject::updateProjectData);
 }
 
 void CMakeBuildConfiguration::maybeForceReparse()
@@ -378,10 +384,10 @@ CMakeConfig CMakeBuildConfiguration::cmakeConfiguration() const
 
 void CMakeBuildConfiguration::setError(const QString &message)
 {
-    if (m_error == message)
-        return;
-    m_error = message;
-    emit enabledChanged();
+    if (m_error != message) {
+        emit enabledChanged();
+        m_error = message;
+    }
     emit errorOccured(m_error);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakeproject.cpp b/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakeproject.cpp
index ddf538983af..f9bc0013cc6 100644
--- a/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakeproject.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakeproject.cpp
@@ -94,17 +94,16 @@ CMakeProject::~CMakeProject()
     qDeleteAll(m_extraCompilers);
 }
 
-void CMakeProject::updateProjectData()
+void CMakeProject::updateProjectData(CMakeBuildConfiguration *bc)
 {
-    auto cmakeBc = qobject_cast<CMakeBuildConfiguration *>(sender());
-    QTC_ASSERT(cmakeBc, return);
+    QTC_ASSERT(bc, return);
 
     Target *t = activeTarget();
-    if (!t || t->activeBuildConfiguration() != cmakeBc)
+    if (!t || t->activeBuildConfiguration() != bc)
         return;
     Kit *k = t->kit();
 
-    cmakeBc->generateProjectTree(static_cast<CMakeListsNode *>(rootProjectNode()));
+    bc->generateProjectTree(static_cast<CMakeListsNode *>(rootProjectNode()));
 
     updateApplicationAndDeploymentTargets();
     updateTargetRunConfigurations(t);
@@ -131,7 +130,7 @@ void CMakeProject::updateProjectData()
 
     ppBuilder.setQtVersion(activeQtVersion);
 
-    const QSet<Core::Id> languages = cmakeBc->updateCodeModel(ppBuilder);
+    const QSet<Core::Id> languages = bc->updateCodeModel(ppBuilder);
     for (const auto &lid : languages)
         setProjectLanguage(lid, true);
 
@@ -144,7 +143,7 @@ void CMakeProject::updateProjectData()
     emit displayNameChanged();
     emit fileListChanged();
 
-    emit cmakeBc->emitBuildTypeChanged();
+    emit bc->emitBuildTypeChanged();
 
     emit parsingFinished();
 }
diff --git a/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakeproject.h b/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakeproject.h
index 52b73edc14c..5fa7de4415c 100644
--- a/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakeproject.h
+++ b/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakeproject.h
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ private:
     void handleActiveTargetChanged();
     void handleActiveBuildConfigurationChanged();
     void handleParsingStarted();
-    void updateProjectData();
+    void updateProjectData(Internal::CMakeBuildConfiguration *cmakeBc);
     void updateQmlJSCodeModel();
 
     void createGeneratedCodeModelSupport();
diff --git a/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/servermodereader.cpp b/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/servermodereader.cpp
index ae5bf6d41c5..f860f28bef5 100644
--- a/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/servermodereader.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/servermodereader.cpp
@@ -250,12 +250,20 @@ static ProjectNode *updateCMakeInputs(CMakeListsNode *root,
                                       QList<FileNode *> &buildInputs,
                                       QList<FileNode *> &rootInputs)
 {
+    const bool hasInputs = !sourceInputs.isEmpty() || !buildInputs.isEmpty() || !rootInputs.isEmpty();
     ProjectNode *cmakeVFolder
             = root->projectNode(CMakeInputsNode::inputsPathFromCMakeListsPath(root->filePath()));
     if (!cmakeVFolder) {
-        cmakeVFolder = new CMakeInputsNode(root->filePath());
-        root->addProjectNodes({ cmakeVFolder });
+        if (hasInputs) {
+            cmakeVFolder = new CMakeInputsNode(root->filePath());
+            root->addProjectNodes({ cmakeVFolder });
+        }
+    } else {
+        if (!hasInputs)
+            root->removeProjectNodes({ cmakeVFolder });
     }
+    if (!hasInputs)
+        return nullptr;
 
     QList<FolderNode *> foldersToDelete;
     foldersToDelete.append(setupCMakeVFolder(cmakeVFolder, sourceDir, 1000,